Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-06-04
Young Men.


Rev. j. T. Hargrave in the Episcopal
Church Sunday night. He lectured
to the young men, selecting as his
text the Goth verse of the Goth chap
ter of Proverbs: "The glory Of young
men is in their strength" We had
the pleasure of hearing the discourse,
and in it was plainly visible the diff
ference between lecture and a SER
mon. The one is addressed to the
reason of the individual; the other
is preached at the congregation pro-
miscuously. We present our readers
the main points of the lecture and beg
leave to assure our friend, Mr.. Har-
grave, that such discourses in this
community will always secure, as
they deserve, the respectful attention
of good audiences. MIR. Hargrave
spoke as follows:
TKxT-"The glory OF young men is their
strength" Proverbs, 20: 20.
1t is a fact to be deplored that sometimes O
gulf separates the clergy from young men.
The electric current of sympathy fails 10
unite them In their social tastes and interests.
But the same fact is also true in large de-
gree Of the relationship existing between the
clergy and all the laity. l suspect there is
fault on both sides, but /, for one, am disposed
to believe that ministers are often to blame
for this want of sympathy, and yet more the
popular conventional ideas regarding US as a
c.ass are many and mischievous. Dean Swift
lid there were three sexes, women, men and
the clergy. The average conception Of the
clerical office makes a man q stiff. unnatural
creature, out of touch of the normal type of
human nature. He is priest, apd priest
ministers between God and man. So he
must be this is, l suppose, the logic of this
gross misapprehension) he must be neither
human nor divine.
How difficult, then, when our relations to-
ward you are made SO artificial and conven-
tional, to get en- rapport with all classes and
experiences, keeping ever natural and ever
fresh, intensely human In all our tastes,
Creatures of like passions with yourselves"
yet at the same time magnifying our Office as
teachers OF Christian ethics. How the man
who fills the clerical Office with large heart
and broad sympathies and with charity
greater than his creed, who makes the broth
erhood OF humanity the greatest earthly truth
and law tohim, longs for thesympatby Of the
laity and would minister the same In return.
Its net. pleasant to be put up In niche In
the church as q statue Of marble to be looked
at by creatures OF flesh and blood. Well then
the difficulty of touching human hearts 10 in
creased when the fault lies with us A type
of American parson not yet extinct has
frozen the religious sympathy of young men
made inhdels OF some. Conventionalisra
again, the man in white tie and a clerical
suit. with narrow theological opinions, full of
dogmatism and cant, full OF egotism and lit
tleness. This clergyman, II you have ever
Ssen his original, understands not the art of
preaching which is gentle and persuasive,
but illustrates Its offensiveness; which is dog
matte and egotistic always says "you sin
ners" and 1--WE saints" Young men-all peo-
ple-like instruction, like counsel, will re-
ceive exhortation offered In sincerity and
with kindly feeling. But none of us enjoy
preaching, either from the pulpit or from
books, which does not conceal the fact that II
is preaching. In other words we resent being
extensively preached at The truth can be put
in most palatable form, yet lose nothing OF
force Of logic, nothing of burning realty
Very evidently between the clergy and
young men exist for many reasons most
solemn motives for cordial and sympathetic
relations and for mutual helpfulness. To-day
we are here, tomorrow we fold our tents and
steal away to measure the revelations OF the
future. Sin and paia. the struggle against
passion and the ihroes Of bereavement, these
are common TO as all. Life and duty appeal
to each OF as, wheth ,r ministering at the altar
or turning the page Of the ledger In the